Kenya’s Kosgei shatters Radcliffe world record

CHICAGO: Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei shattered Paula Radcliffe’s 16-year-old women’s marathon world record Sunday, winning the Chicago Marathon in two hours, 14 minutes and four seconds. Kosgei broke the mark of 2:15:25 set by Radcliffe in the London Marathon on April 13, 2003 as she won in Chicago for the second straight year.

Kosgei, the 25-year-old who won the London Marathon in April and clocked the fastest halfmarathon in history this year of 1:04:28 at the Great North Run, quickly separated herself from the women’s field as she ran with two male pace-setters.

She crossed the finish line alone, with Ethiopians Ababel Yeshaneh and Gelete Burka a distant second and third in 2:20:51 and 2:20:55.

While the IAAF recognizes the 2:17:01 clocked by Mary Jepkosgei Keitany at the 2017 London Marathon as a “women only” world record posted without male pace-setters, it’s Radcliffe’s mark—so long untouchable— that has been the grail for female marathon runners.

Kosgei’s performance continued a remarkable weekend in the punishing event, coming a day after fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge became the first man to break two hours at the distance when he clocked 1hr 59min 40.2sec on a specially prepared course in a Vienna park.

Kosgei signalled her intentions with an astonishing first five kilometers in 15:28—so far inside Radcliffe’s world record pace that it seemed she might have ruined her chances out of the gate. But she settled into a more sustainable pace and powered relentlessly to the finish line.

Kenya’s Lawrence Cherono won a men’s race that came down to the wire in 2:05:45—barely edging Ethiopia’s Dejene Debela who was second in 2:05:46 with another Ethiopian, Asefa Mengstu, third in 2:05:48. zzLast year’s winner Mo Farah of Britain was never a factor—finishing a distant eighth in 2:09:58.

It was a disappointing end for Farah to a week that began amid a hail of questions about the scandal surrounding his former coach Alberto Salazar.